Supreme court strikes blow against unions with 'fair share' ruling

Non-union members no longer have to pay for representation
Mark Janus argued that ‘fair share’ fees violated his free speech

The supreme court dealt a huge blow to organized labor on Wednesday, ruling that non-union members no longer have to pay their “fair share” for union representation in collective bargaining negotiations.

The closely watched case – Janus v AFSCME – could public unions, according to some experts, and will impact public sector employees in 22 states.

In a 5-4 decision the court overturned a previous decision that had protected the right of public sector unions to collect administrative fees from non-members, ruling it was inconsistent with the first amendment right to free speech.

Without that protection, unions may not only lose fees from non-members but also lose members who are happy with the union’s work but do not want to pay for it. Rightwing activists, who have long campaigned for the decision, are already preparing a nationwide drive to persuade public sector trade unions to stop paying dues following the decision.

Donald Trump celebrated the decision on Twitter, writing: “Big loss for the coffers of the Democrats!” Unions are major donors to the Democratic party.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/27/supreme-court-unions-fair-share-ruling


I think it is appropriate to see how news organization outside of the country looks at this issue, when it comes to labor.............